The Review:

Noname, Saba, and Smino lead the pack in quality hip hop coming out of Chicago. No, I didn’t say Chance the Rapper, thank you for noticing.

They’re some of the most talented emcees of the last couple of years. Noname’s debut mixtape, Telefone, was an excellent showcase of her talents as a rapper, and her debut album, Room 25, only saw her improve moreso in beat selection, flows, and metaphors alike. After a pair of mixtapes that flew under the radar, Saba released his debut album in 2016, Bucket List Project, to modest reviews. A solid effort that saw him deliver competent performances over some unremarkable production. Though, his sophomore album, 2018’s Care For Me, was one of my favorite albums of that year. It was vulnerable, raw, depressing, and honest; many of the project’s ten tracks tell the story of his late-cousin and former Pivot Gang collaborator Walter Long (aka John Walt). A pair of mixtapes and an EP later, Smino put out his debut, blkswn, in March of 2017. Of the three, Smino is the most melodic far and away. The album’s instrumentals weren’t very memorable, but the biggest takeaways were the performances from Smino and his guests (which included Chicago native Ravyn Lenae). 2018 saw Smino putting out his sophomore project, NØIR. It is a clear improvement on blkswn, but the rapper is still trying to find that sweet spot. He inches closer; the singles were strong, the production more interesting and not nearly as quiet, and his performances were on par, if not better than those off blkswn.
The two songs that see the three of them come together are some of the best songs (if not the best) on their respective records: “Shadow Man” off of Noname’s Telefone, and “Ace” off of Noname’s Room 25. All three of them bring the best out of each other, delivering excellent verses, showing off their amazing chemistry, and having fun. Hearing them on “Shadow Man” is like that line in Step Brothers. They’re all rapping together and, all of a sudden, it clicks in each of their heads: “Did we just become best friends?”
For fans of these rappers, this was a long time coming. I’m sure if you talked to anyone about those tracks last year when Room 25 was fresh off its release, someone would say it. “‘Shadow Man’ is fire, this new song ‘Ace’ is fire… When the fuck are they gonna do an album together?” Ladies and gentlemen, Ghetto Sage answers that burning question.

A teaser for what’s to come, “Häagan Dazs” is the first song from the trio’s upcoming album. Comparatively to the other two songs they’ve made together, this song is okay. They’ve set a high bar for themselves. It’s not as catchy as “Shadow Man” or “Ace”, the instrumental isn’t as layered or ornate, and there aren’t as many quotables or takeaways. On its own without any context, it’s still a good song. Smino referencing The Roots and their emcee, Black Thought, is welcome in this catchy hook. “I get the bag like the Roots/Black out all my thoughts, request the love, revenge the youth.” It, along with the the beat, sets the tone of this fast pace rap banger. It demands to be played loud.

The chemistry is there, but they’re not trading bars or anything. When Smino finishes his hook and passes the baton to Saba, it’s seamless. When he passes it to Noname, she picks it up with ease. The only notable aspect of the track I can nitpick is that it does take a little bit for her flow to find some footing in the beat. However, when she does, which doesn’t take long at all, she’s skating to the groove.

Some lines stick out, but none more than Noname. Smino’s hook is the best part of his performance on this track, and him and Saba both have a good flow; but man, they’re are going to have to try a little harder if they’re rapping with Noname. The way she puts an image in the listener’s head and adds onto it. With so little, she leaves a lot to the imagination:

“Grateful for my everything, his body’s a casket/
The lining cherry wood/
The pussy turned him ashes to ashes”

Sometimes, though, she can be cheeky:

“I’m sucking dick cause black lives matter”

“I scatter roses on my metaphor, ’cause the world shot Nipsey/
When a girl got tipsy I went to Ben and Jerry/
Got my berry on”

“Häagan Dazs” is an enjoyable song while we wait for the album that follows. It’s not bad by any means. The three of them do what they do best: rap alongside each other. Smino’s hook was a nice touch, Saba had the slickest flow, and Noname had the best verse hands down. The instrumental is just okay, but I’m also not going to expect something so grandiose like “Shadow Man” from every track. It does what it needs to do for them to shine, and shine they do. I’m excited for the rest of the album. Hopefully, an announcement with a release date comes soon enough.

The Pairing:

Seeing that picture of them with the caption “Ghetto Sage” put the biggest grin on my face. I couldn’t handle the excitement. It was a treat to finally see their talents collide again and promise us that a record is coming soon. Such a treat that I would pair this single with a Matcha Chocolate Chip Cookie from specialTEA Café & Lounge.

Smino lays down the foundation of the song in its hook, the same way the cookie itself is the foundation of its adjunct ingredients. Saba maneuvers the song with the quickness; his sharp, acrobatic flow matching the tempo of the song. Just like chocolate, his appearance hits that sweet spot. Noname’s verse finds her in her element. It’s teeming with personality. She’s forward, poetic, and charming; in a similar vein to matcha’s earthy flavor. When the three come together, a unique experience forms. Ghetto Sage in their music and specialTEA’s Matcha Chocolate Chip Cookie in its flavor. Adding matcha to a chocolate chip cookie isn’t 100% revolutionary, but they’re ingredients that always knew they could do great things together.